


Harry's Daughter

by ladyroxanne21



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coming together as a family, Grief/Mourning, In the Loo, M/M, Off page character death, One Off, Public Sex, shifting povs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 16:34:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11339241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyroxanne21/pseuds/ladyroxanne21
Summary: Nearly eight years after a one off in the loo of a muggle gay dance club, Draco is shocked to learn that he has a daughter.





	Harry's Daughter

**Author's Note:**

> I started this before writing on Caelum, and while they have a few things in common, they are very different stories. This fic started forming in my mind back when I was finishing up the Punish Me series. I had to take a break from it because it got a bit heavy for me in the middle, but then I came back to it with a fresh mind and finished it :-) It ends on a much lighter note than all the tags would lead you to believe :-)

Harry

 

Harry set the letter aside. He loved reading about Ginny's exploits – she always made everything seem hilarious. They had agreed not to be together while she focused on her career as a Quidditch player. Therefore, she occasionally told him about a charming fan that had talked his or her way into her bed.

In return, Harry wrote letters to her, and when he'd pulled a lover, he let her know. In this way, she had strangely become his best friend. He was looking forward to the day when she was ready to settle down and get married. But until then...

He actually didn't want to wait for her to start a family. He _also_ didn't want the complication of getting a different witch pregnant, so...

Taking a deep breath, he downed the vial of green potion in his hand. With this, he'd be able to do it all on his own. Now, all he had to do was go to the muggle gay club and pull a stranger.

Taking a last look in the mirror, Harry smirked. Even now, he didn't think he was very good looking, but when he wore this pair of tight denim trousers, his arse looked fantastic – which was just about the only thing gay men looking to pull cared about. Plus, he was wearing a sheer shirt that all but disappeared in the flashy light of the club. All in all, he made an attractive package.

His trousers looked like this - so feel free to imagine Harry instead of this model :-D

About fifteen minutes later, Harry made his way through the crowd to sit at the bar. He ordered a drink, but since he had no idea how alcohol would interact with the potion he'd taken, it was just for show. Something to pretend to drink as he scanned the club for the perfect stranger.

A man only five feet onto the dance floor caught his eye. The man was tall with dark blond hair and vibrant blue eyes. He was muscular with only a hint of flabbiness on his hips, stomach, and arms. He grinned at Harry and tilted his head in a silent invitation to dance.

Harry set his drink on the bar and accepted the dance. The man was fairly close to what Harry might call his type. He had two distinct types, gingers... and blonds. The combination might not be the best mix in a child – Harry could already picture a scruffy black haired runt – but if the child inherited this man's height or even his hair, then Harry wouldn't be disappointed at all. Even better, the child might have this man's robust body, rather than Harry's too thin one.

The dance wasn't all that complicated, just a simple grinding together of their hips that was soon punctuated by some hot snogging. If things kept going at this rate, Harry might well have his goal accomplished in the next ten minutes.

Suddenly, the man broke off with a frown. He looked curiously at the man standing behind Harry that had tapped his shoulder. Harry wasn't really paying attention yet, focusing on the continued grinding.

“May I cut in?” A rich masculine voice purred, making Harry's partner inhale in lust.

Harry turned to see who was trying to steal his conquest away from him, only to find a rather shocking sight. Blaise Zabini... and Draco Malfoy. Blaise was eyeing Harry's partner with definite interest even as Draco was examining Harry as if looking for clues to explain a profound mystery.

“You mind?” Harry's partner asked, somewhat apologetically.

“Er...” Harry droned in indecision, only Blaise didn't give him any time to think it over before stealing Harry's partner and dancing away.

Draco chuckled and leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear. “I had to bribe Blaise with a lot of Galleons to get him to take interest in that muggle, but I have no doubt he'll have fun. They both will. Dance with me?”

Harry was astonished for many reasons. The first one he blurted out was: “What are you doing _here_?”

“Dancing, obviously. Or trying to,” he said as he pulled Harry into a dance that was only slightly more complicated than the grinding Harry had been doing.

“No, I mean, what are you doing at a muggle club?” Harry wondered.

“It's the only decent gay place around,” Draco informed him with a shrug.

“You're gay?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Bisexual,” Draco answered with a light glare, as if daring him to object.

“Oh... me too...” Harry murmured. Then he looked around to see if the man he had been dancing with or another was interested in him. To his disappointment, he was fairly certain that all of the eyes now staring in his direction were actually on Draco.

Harry sighed in defeat. “And I was here on a mission that you have apparently derailed.”

Draco chuckled knowingly. “Looking to pull? Not to worry. All of those not interested in blonds are staring at you.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You say that, but I am dead certain that not an eye in this entire place is looking at anything other than you.”

Draco grinned smugly. “Why Potter, are you trying to say that you think I'm attractive?”

“More like bloody gorgeous!” Harry exclaimed before he could stop himself.

“Then...” Draco pulled Harry closer so that they were now grinding their groins together. “Why not keep dancing with me until you're ready to leave.”

Harry growled softly in frustration. “Look Malfoy, all I want is a simple, uncomplicated one off with a stranger.”

Draco frowned. “And you don't think we can have that?”

“With our history?” Harry pointed out with a significant look.

“I have no problem with a one off,” Draco stated, nearly rolling his eyes at how complicated Harry was making this.

“No but, you don't understand,” Harry protested.

Draco shrugged. “What's to understand? We go to the loo, get each other off, and then go our separate ways.”

Harry sighed in frustration because that was exactly what he wanted. With a _stranger_. Before he could protest again, Draco kissed him.

With a feeling like he was surrendering to the inevitable, Harry gave in. “Alright Malfoy. Let's go to the loo.”

Draco stopped to tilt his head and stare at Harry for a moment. He honestly hadn't expected Harry to stop arguing any time soon. He'd been prepared to have to use every Slytherin trick he knew to get Harry to agree.

With a knowing smirk, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him toward the loo. “Well, that's more like it.”

When they got into a stall in the crowded loo, Harry shut the door, leaned against it, and let Draco take the lead. Draco decided that the best course of action was to resume kissing until Harry had relaxed a lot more. It was reminiscent of a mini battle fought with just their tongues. Eventually, Harry was far too worked up to stop, no matter that this was  _Malfoy_ and not some nameless stranger.

Taking the initiative, Harry pushed Draco back just enough so that he could open his trousers, push them and his pants down just a little past his bum, and then turn around. He quietly cast a few spells to prepare himself – since Draco was also a wizard and Harry didn't have to worry about keeping it a secret. A look over his shoulder revealed Draco staring at him with wide, lust blown eyes.

“You... you want me to shag you?” Draco asked softly in Harry's ear.

Harry nodded, mostly confidently.

“But... I assumed blowjobs or just frotting...” Draco murmured because he honestly hadn't expected Harry to just offer his arse so freely.

“I told you, I came here with a mission,” Harry said as he wiggled his arse invitingly.

Draco caressed Harry's arse with a soft groan of longing, and then took a deep breath. This was a longtime wank fantasy come true, and now Draco half wished that they were in a bed. That said, there was no way he'd pass this opportunity up. Instead, he cast a spell to see if Harry had anything transmittable – which wouldn't be surprising if Harry did this often. But Harry lit up as clean, and so did Draco, so...

Draco wasted no more time. He freed his rigidly erect and leaking shaft and pressed it into Harry. With a happy moan, Harry pressed his forehead into the door of the stall they occupied.

A man on the outside begged them to hurry up so that he could have a turn before his partner changed his mind. This made Harry chuckle and wiggle his hips to entice Draco to comply. With a groan of sheer pleasure, Draco did his best to ram Harry into the door.

Nearly chanting, Harry pushed back into Draco with each thrust. The feeling was almost electric – which surprised Harry. He'd never felt this way before. For a moment, he half wished that they were in a bed and had plans to shag all night, but then he remembered that he didn't want any strings and  _that_ would definitely create some.

Draco quickly started to sound almost breathless. He was on the verge but desperately wanted to hold out until Harry orgasmed. So, he reached around and took hold of Harry's velvety shaft and stroked it firmly.

Harry cried out so erotically that if the men waiting to use the stall had been oblivious prior to this moment, they most definitely knew what was going on now. One man even called out his congratulations on what sounded like a glorious orgasm.

And it  _so_ was! Harry felt like he melted into a puddle even as he painted the stall door with thick stripes. At the same time, Draco inhaled a nearly silent gasp and dug his fingers into Harry's hips. The rippling on his shaft felt so good that Draco would have lost control of his stamina even if he wasn't already right on the edge. He pumped Harry full, and then rested his head on Harry's back for a moment.

Harry didn't want to anger any of the men who were not so patiently waiting their turn, so he pushed Draco away long before he wanted to. As he fastened his trousers, he gave the gorgeous Slytherin prince a tiny smile.

“It was nice seeing you again. I don't expect that it'll happen again anytime soon, so...” he shrugged. “Have a nice life.”

Draco was also fixing his appearance. This made him frown because he had rather hoped that Harry would change his mind about this being a one off. Even so, he wasn't the clingy type.

“Yeah. Have a nice life yourself.”

Harry smirked at him. “Oh, I plan to.”

And with that, Harry opened the stall and steadily left the club.

 

Draco

 

Draco entered the conference room to find it full of Weasleys – which shocked him. “Er... I must be in the wrong room.”

“No, Mr. Malfoy. Please, sit down,” an older man with a stern aura said, gesturing to an empty chair.

Draco obeyed without protest because the atmosphere was heavy. In such situations, he had learned to keep his mouth shut and his ears open. At the moment, he was almost certain that at least one of the Weasleys was trying to sue him for something – likely any little thing that might earn them a little of the vast Malfoy fortune.

The older man – which had to be one of the partners of this firm, based on the way he carried himself – nodded at Draco before looking around the room. “Good afternoon. I'm Aguilar – a senior Partner in this firm. Now that we are all here, we may begin.”

Curious, Draco studied all the Weasleys to see if he could determine which one of them was behind this fiasco. To his surprise, there was a little girl sitting in between Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger – who had become a Weasley a few years back. The little girl was about six or seven and had black hair and green eyes like –

“I Harry James Potter hereby attest that I am of sound mind. This is my last Will and Testament if the worst should happen –” 

“Wait!” Draco blurted out in alarm. “What's going on here?!” All he knew was that he had been summoned to an important meeting in a prestigious law firm. This was sounding suspiciously like...

“We're all here to read the Will of Harry Potter, of course,” the lawyer informed him as if this was something that had been announced in the Daily Prophet. In point of fact, it had not. Draco would have noticed.

“Potter's dead?!” Draco questioned before he even had a moment to wonder why _he_ would be mentioned in Harry's Will.

The way that everyone in the room – aside from Draco and Aguilar – hitched their breath and got teary eyed, Draco realized that it had to be true.

“Yes,” Ginny murmured, stroking the little girl on the head. The girl now had silent tears streaming down her cheeks, but did an admirable job of keeping her composure otherwise.

The lawyer held up his hand to prevent anyone else from saying anything. He mumbled until he found where he left off. “... if the worst should happen. I hope to make this as simple as possible. I leave all of my individual assets to my daughter Lillian Joy Potter.”

Draco bit his lips to prevent a gasp of surprise. This seemed like the sort of news that would have been plastered all over the papers – both Harry's death  _and_ the fact that he'd had a daughter at some point. He had to seriously wonder what Harry had done to ensure that the news was never leaked.

“All of my joint assets shall of course go to my wife, Ginny.”

Draco chewed on his lip speculatively because – now that he thought about it – Harry had only married Ginny in the last month or so. Thus, the little girl couldn't be hers. Or, well, not a product of their marriage anyway.

“I'd like for my wife and her family to continue to consider my daughter as one of their own. I want Ginny, Ron, and Hermione to oversee my daughter's inheritance and make sure that she has everything she needs. As for my daughter, I'd like her to be raised by her other parent.”

Draco was still very much confused. He had absolutely  _no idea_ why he was here. The only reason would be if Harry had left him something in the Will, but that didn't sound likely. Besides,  _why_ would Harry leave him anything?

“Draco Malfoy.”

“What?” Draco asked, mildly embarrassed to realize that he hadn't been paying attention and had no idea what was going on.

The lawyer looked amused for some reason. “I'll repeat that. As for my daughter, I'd like her to be raised by her other parent. Draco Malfoy.”

“What?!” Draco blurted out in shock.

“You didn't know?” Aguilar asked. Then he looked around the room and realized that _everyone_ was gaping in astonishment.

Draco couldn't speak. All he could do was slowly shake his head back and forth. His eyes were wide and he slowly turned his head to look at the little girl again.

She was now staring at him in a mixture of curiosity, sadness, and anger.

“Wait, how is this possible?!” Ron roared.

Draco shook his head some more, this time adding a helpless shrug.

Ginny sighed. “Remember, Harry told us all when he announced that he was pregnant that he had taken a fertility potion and went to a club for a one off. That's how it happened, Ron.”

“Yeah, but _Malfoy_!!!” Ron half shouted, pointing at Draco.

Draco closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the palm of his right hand. “Yes, there was a night in a club about...” he paused to think it over. It was a night that stood out in his memories, even after all this time. “Eight years ago now – or nearly so.”

“Why you?” Ron asked accusingly.

Draco still had his head in his hand and took refuge in it so that he didn't have to look at any of them. “Er... I suppose that was a little my fault. He told me he was on a mission to pull a stranger and I persuaded him that I was a better option. Obviously, I didn't know that he had taken a fertility potion.”

“And you didn't protect yourself?” Hermione asked curiously.

Draco looked at her since she didn't have even a hint of judgment in her voice. “Well, yes and no. Men can't normally get pregnant, so we check for infections or diseases. We were both clean. I had no reason to suspect that anyone – let alone Potter – would purposely take a potion to get pregnant by a stranger. Why  _did_ he do that anyway?”

Ginny gave him a tiny smile. “He was about a year out of Hogwarts and I had just graduated. I wanted to travel around and focus on my career. Harry wanted to stay home and become an Auror, but he also wanted a family and he didn't want to wait. That said, we already had plans to get married eventually, so he decided to just have a baby himself. When he told me that he planned to obtain a donation from a stranger, I saw no reason to object.”

Draco inhaled and exhaled slowly as he realized that the only reason that things didn't go according to Harry's plan was because  _he_ had bribed his friend Blaise to distract the bloke Harry had planned to pull. And then taken the bloke's place. Thus, this was all his own fault. Even so, he couldn't help but be a little resentful that Harry had never told him.

He decided to change the subject for a moment. “How did he die?”

Hermione reached over and took hold of Ginny's hand. “It happened as Harry was chasing a dark wizard,” Hermione said as Ginny rested her head on the little girl's – Lillian, Draco supposed. “The wizard cast a hex at Harry, who fell over a cliff into violent and rocky waters. That's how we've been able to keep it quiet so far. There hasn't been a body for reporters to see in the morgue and write about.”

“And how did he manage to keep the fact that he had been pregnant and had a child a secret?” Draco wondered.

“He used glamours to hide the pregnancy, and then never took Lillian out in Wizarding public. He always kept her safe by taking her to muggle parks and stores and whatnot,” Ron explained.

“May I please finish up?” The lawyer asked before anyone else could say something.

They all nodded in agreement.

“Lastly, it is my hope that Draco will not only agree to raise our daughter, but will also agree to share visitation with my wife Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys – as they have been the only family that Lillian has ever known.”

Draco didn't say anything as he watched Lillian hold both Ginny's and Hermione's hands. It didn't take a genius to understand that she had to be feeling terribly lost and adrift right now. Her face was still streaked from the tears that had stopped flowing already.

Now that he was looking for it, he could see that her face was pointy and just like his. She actually had pale skin and the all of the Malfoy features – aside from her wildly curly black hair and her vibrant green eyes, that were currently tinged with red. Despite all of that, Draco had to be sure.

“Not that I think Potter is lying, but how do I know that this is actually my child? What if she's the result of a previous attempt to get pregnant that he thought was unsuccessful?”

Aguilar obligingly cast a blood detection spell to confirm paternity. Draco's hands shook just a little when there was no longer any denying that this was his daughter. The lawyer pressed on before Draco was ready.

“Do you accept custody of your daughter, Mr. Malfoy?”

Draco pressed his lips together and nodded. Aguilar placed a document in front of him.

“This is a basic custody agreement. You'll have sole legal and physical custody of Lillian Potter, but since Mr. Potter wished for his wife and her family to have visitation, there is a standard schedule of every other weekend and alternating holidays. Plus the freedom to request visitation at will. Is this acceptable to you?”

“Why me?” Draco couldn't help but wonder. “Why not just let her live her whole life with her family?”

“I cannot know for certain, but I think that perhaps Mr. Potter explained that in this letter addressed to you.”

Draco accepted the letter, but decided not to read it until later.

“Mr. Potter wrote letters to everyone,” Aguilar murmured as he handed out a stack of letters. Even Lillian received one.

“Well, if you'll just sign the custody agreement – Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Potter – this meeting will be over.”

Ginny took the agreement and looked it over with Hermione. They found that it was generous to them and had a stipulation that they could have the terms altered in the future if necessary – such as if they needed to permanently switch weekends. With a nod, Ginny signed.

When the agreement was given to Draco, he signed it, and then immediately wondered if he was doing the right thing. He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. This wasn't going to be easy for any of them.

“Look, I know that it isn't fair to Lillian to expect her to just go home with a complete stranger,” Draco said. “So if one of you wants to come with her and stay until she settles in, I have no problem with that.”

“I will,” Ginny murmured, stroking Lillian's hair again. “I've lived with her since a few months before Harry and I got married, so...” she trailed off and looked at Lillian. “You want me to stay with you, sweetheart?”

Lillian nodded, swallowing as if speaking was difficult for her. Considering that she had likely been crying a lot lately, it probably was. Draco nodded at her to let her know that it really was okay for her to want her stepmother with her.

 

A half an hour later, Draco led the way into the parlor that they always took their afternoon tea in since it captured the light of the sun best. Elves could be seen in the garden using their magic to make it look breathtakingly beautiful – despite being the very first day of spring. Draco took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.

“Mother, Father, Astoria... This is Lillian Joy Potter... my daughter.”

The three Malfoys stared at him in astonishment for a moment before studying the little girl, who was nervously trying to hide behind Ginny.

“It seems that Harry Potter once decided to take a fertility potion and pull a stranger in a club, only I unknowingly derailed his plans and rather insistently took that stranger's place. Thus,” he swept his hand out to indicate Lillian again.

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a speculative glance as Astoria frowned. Astoria stood up, a hand on her heavily pregnant belly. With a purposely smooth expression, she addressed Ginny.

“Mrs. Potter, would you please excuse my husband and me for a moment?”

Ginny gave her a tight but gracious smile. “Of course. Come sweetheart, why don't we take a look at this beautiful garden.” Lillian shrugged but followed her stepmother outside.

The moment the family was alone, Astoria tilted her head to regard her husband. “What's going on, Draco?”

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It seems that Potter died during a recent Auror mission and left me custody of...  _our_ daughter. And yes, I had it verified that she's really mine.”

“What the hell?!” Astoria blurted out in dismay. “How could you just accept such a huge responsibility without even talking to me about it first?”

Draco gave her a light glare. “What was I supposed to do? Ask everyone to wait while I asked for permission from my wife? She's  _my daughter,_ Astoria! There's no chance in Salazar's moldering grave that I would abandon a child carrying Malfoy blood!”

Astoria winced and sighed. “I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that this is a big –  _a huge_ – decision, and you made it without even talking to me first.” She sighed again and shook her head. “But I can understand why. Let's just focus on what we're supposed to do now.”

“I have custody of her and her family has visitation rights,” Draco informed them. “Ginny Potter is here and plans to stay here until Lillian grows accustomed to us and feels comfortable living here.”

Narcissa stood up and walked around the table until she could give her son a hug. “And how are you, my love?”

Draco exhaled softly and rested his head on her shoulder. “I could be better. I'm... actually really angry at Potter for never telling me about this. I feel cheated out of knowing my daughter as a baby and watching her grow up.”

Narcissa nodded in agreement and rubbed his back. Lucius sighed, sounding as if he was surrendering to the inevitable.

“What's done is done. The only thing we can do now is show Lillian how precious we Malfoys feel our children are.”

Draco gave his father a tiny smile of relief, grateful that the head of the family wasn't planning to make life miserable for all of them.

 

Ginny

 

Ginny silently stroked Lillian's wild hair as they watched the elves tend to the garden.

“I miss daddy,” Lillian murmured as silent tears leaked from her eyes.

“I know,” Ginny acknowledged in sympathy. “I do too.”

“Why didn't daddy ever tell me that I had another father?” Lillian wondered, a hint of anger bleeding through what was undeniably confusion.

“I don't know,” Ginny replied with a shake of her head.

“This father hates me, doesn't he?”

Ginny felt her heart twist painfully. “Oh sweetheart! Why would you think that?”

Lillian shook her head and shrugged. “He seems mad at me.”

“Oh no,” Ginny denied, shaking her head again. “I'm almost certain he's mad at Harry. They never did like each other and fought all throughout school. I have no idea why Harry choose him, but I'm almost certain that Draco Malfoy very much wishes that Harry was still alive so that he could hex him for keeping this a secret. Just give him some time and I'm sure he'll warm up to you.”

Lillian burst out into sobs; only the second time she had done so since she'd fully understood that her father was dead. “I just want him to come home!”

Ginny could help but start crying herself as she held Lillian. “Me too, love, me too.”

When they were invited back into the Manor for dinner, the entire family was awkwardly silent until Narcissa asked Ginny what it had been like to be a professional Quidditch player traveling the world. Ginny entertained them all by telling her favorite anecdotes. Once again, her natural charm and sense of humor pulled soft laughter from a group of people who weren't prone to doing so. This was one of the reasons her coach had always insisted that she attend all the meetings with their investors.

When dinner was over, Draco showed Lillian – and thus Ginny – to the room that would be hers from now on. Draco picked nervously at some nonexistent lint on his immaculate business robes.

“This is arguably the best of all the guest suites. There's a study, a small library, a lounge for relaxation and entertaining friends, an en suite bathroom, and two bedrooms. If you don't like it – Lillian – you can always pick one of the other suites.”

Ginny shook her head very slowly as she looked around. “You're giving her the equivalent of an entire flat!” This wasn't said in anger but amazement.  _She_ had grown up in a house that had been magically expanded over the years so that they all had their own bedrooms, but the rooms were all small. Tiny compared to this! She couldn't imagine growing up in such wealth.

Even the years that she had lived with the order in Grimmauld place she hadn't had a room like this. She'd shared a rather normal room with Hermione. And when she and Harry had gotten married and bought a large and luxurious home – the master bedroom had still been just that. One large and spacious room with an en suite bathroom, not... this...

Draco shrugged, purposely biting back sarcastic remarks about people raised in poverty. “All the bedrooms are like this, although the others are a little smaller.” He paused and bit his lip in thought. “Except, well... there are small bedrooms in the servant quarters near the house elf quarters. But they are so out of the way compared to this that I fear Lillian would think that we were trying to hide her.”

“This is fine,” Lillian murmured timidly. She looked around with interest. It was true that her bedroom – first in Grimmauld Place, and then in the new house that they had moved into when Harry and Ginny were planning to get married – had been a single but large room. Even so, this was a pretty room full of nice things. She could already envision turning part of it into her own private dance studio.

She tugged on Ginny's sleeve and swept her hand out palm down to indicate the wall of the lounge that was opposite the large windows. “What do you think? A bar there?”

“And mirrors?” Ginny asked with a smile.

“A bar?” Draco asked in dismay.

“A dance bar,” Ginny clarified with a soft laugh.

“Oh,” Draco murmured in obvious relief. “You may, of course, feel free to make this room yours in any way you like.”

Lillian gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

“Maybe on your birthday, you can invite your ballet class over for a slumber party,” Ginny suggested. “Of course, the house elves would have to stay out of sight and the paintings will have to agree to stay still.”

“When is your birthday?” Draco wondered curiously.

“I turn seven on June 7th,” Lillian answered softly.

“So it's coming up in a couple of months,” Draco stated to himself, more than a little glad that he hadn't missed it. Then he smiled. “It's only two days after mine.”

“Oh...” Lillian responded uncertainly. “Maybe we can do something special...”

Draco ruffled her hair, making the long spiral curls wave back and forth. “I'd like that.”

With a respectful nod to Ginny, Draco left them alone.

Ginny decided that the best course of action was to try to keep as much the same as possible. So, she helped Lillian take a bath, and then they curled up on a plush sofa with cup of hot chocolate provided by the elf assigned to Lillian. Ginny read Lillian's favorite book to her until Lillian yawned and decided to go to bed – choosing the bigger of the two bedrooms as the one she wanted to sleep in.

With a sigh of relief, Ginny finally pulled out the letter that Harry had written her.

_Dear Ginny, I'm writing this letter to accompany my Will in case the worst should happen. We just got married yesterday, so hopefully this letter will never be given to you, but if it does, please know that I love you more than anyone except Lillian. She's probably a wreck and needs your love and understanding more than ever. Please try to be there for her. As for, well, Draco Malfoy, I hope that the two of you can try to get along for Lillian's sake. Love always, Harry._

Ginny sighed in frustration. She knew that it wasn't likely, but she had been fervently praying that Harry was going to tell her that he had actually faked his death so that he could go undercover or something. But no. He was well and truly dead.

Her stomach churned and she nearly vomited for a moment, but then it settled down again.

The absolute worst part of this whole mess was that she had  _just_ found out that she was pregnant. Thus, Harry had no idea when he died. Tears leaked from her eyes as she thought about how much Harry would have loved being a father again. They would have been wonderful parents.

Crawling into the bed in the other bedroom, Ginny gave into the urge to sob into her pillow. She honestly had  _no idea_ how she was going to be a mother all on her own.

 

Lillian

 

In the morning, Lillian smiled as she wondered what her father was going to make her for breakfast before bringing her to Grandma Molly's until he got home from work and brought her to ballet class. Then she remembered that he was dead and started crying all over again. It didn't take her too long to calm down.

A minute or so later, she remembered the letter from her father. Her hands felt a bit cold as she got up and retrieved the letter from the pocket of the dress she'd been wearing yesterday. Then she crawled back in bed to stay warm

_Dear Lian, I decided to update my Will, and it occurred to me that there are so many things I'd want to say to you if the worst happened and I was no longer around. First and foremost, I love you so much! Even dead, I will always be by your side. I'll watch over and protect you the best I can. Please try not to feel sad or alone; you'll still have Ginny and the Weasleys and... Draco... Your other father is the type of man who will do anything for his family. I'm certain that once he gets to know you, he'll cherish you. Please give him a chance – but ignore everything your grandfather Lucius has to say about blood status and muggle inferiority. Anyway, just remember I love you. Dad_

Lillian took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling slowly. Strangely, seeing her father's nickname for her made her feel a little better. Her friends all called her Lils while Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys called her Lillian or Lily. Lian was like a secret between just the two of them.

Ready to search for breakfast, Lillian slipped back out of bed. She found a pretty dress in her size hanging in midair. It was a simple white sheathe under a black sheathe made entirely out of delicate crochet lace motifs. It was not only pretty, but made Lillian feel that her new family actually understood the fact that she was in mourning.

Like this, but obviously for a little girl:

After getting dressed, Lillian met Ginny in the sitting room, sipping tea. “Good morning, love. Do you want to eat breakfast here with me, or do you want to join everyone else?”

Lillian smiled very faintly. “I think I'd like to join everyone else.”

“Alright love,” Ginny agreed before promptly calling for a house elf to lead them to the rest of the family.

“Good morning,” Narcissa greeted them warmly. “I hope you slept well.”

Lillian – who had been silent the night before – gave her new grandmother a small smile. “I did actually. I feel better today than I have in a while. The bed felt like a cloud or something.”

Narcissa was happy to hear that because she had prayed that the little girl would warm up to the family soon. “That's because all the beds in the Manor are charmed to be soft and soothing.”

As a house elf popped into the room to serve them all a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast, Lillian turned to Ginny. “Are you going to take me to my dance class tonight?”

“You want to go?” Ginny asked in surprised because Lillian had missed her last two lessons because she'd been too depressed to dance.

Lillian nodded. “Yes. I think dancing will help me feel better.”

“What sort of dancing do you do?” Astoria asked curiously as she set her cup of tea down.

“Muggle ballet,” Lillian replied.

“Why muggle?” Narcissa asked curiously.

Ginny answered because she could explain it better. “There really isn't a ballet class for magical children until they are 11 or 12 years old, and even then, they have to be good enough to get into the highly competitive class. Thus, magical children need to take muggle ballet classes until they are old enough, at which point, they choose between going to a school like Hogwarts, or going to the  Acad é mie de Danse Magique.

“Er...” Draco droned in mild alarm. “Is it _wise_ to allow a magical child to skip going to a magical school?”

Ginny shrugged. “The curriculum includes Charms and Transfiguration, along with access to supplemental classes that interest the child. So, for example, if she wanted to take Potions or Arithmancy.”

Draco narrowed his eyes. “Still, that doesn't sound like a good education for a witch.”

“I haven't decided I want to go,” Lillian murmured. “I simply mentioned that it might be nice to be able to go to a school full of witches like me who want to dance, and daddy looked around until he found such a school. He said that at least now, I know it's an option.”

“Plus, it's still _years_ off,” Ginny added.

Draco nodded in acceptance.

No one quite knew what to say for a moment. Then Astoria smiled. “What time is your class at?”

“This evening at five,” Lillian replied, tucking a strand of her long spirally curly hair behind her ear.

“Well, I have an appointment with my Healer this afternoon at one. Would you like to come with us and see the magical scans of the baby?”

Lillian actually perked up in interest. “When are you having the baby?”

“I'm due at the beginning of April, but really, it could be any time now,” Astoria answered, referring to the fact that it was three quarters of the way through March.

“Are you having a boy or a girl?” Lillian wondered.

“A boy,” both Draco and Astoria replied with happy smiles.

Ginny stood up abruptly. “You'll have to excuse me,” she said to the table in general, and then added to Lillian specifically. “Love. I'll be right back.”

Lillian nodded at her just before Ginny Disapparated to the bathroom in Lillian's room. Then Lillian looked sadly at her hands, which fiddled with her fork. “She... She's going to have a baby too. She doesn't think I know, but I overheard her and Grandma Molly talking about how she found out the day daddy died – a couple hours after he left for work. He never knew...”

Astoria reached over and took one of Lillian's hands. “That must be hard. I'll try to be there for her, if she needs someone to go to appointments with.”

Narcissa purred ever so softly. “I suppose that means that you will soon have a little brother  _and_ a brother or sister.”

“It would be nice to have a sister,” Lillian murmured with a tiny smile. Despite only eating a few bites, Lillian just wasn't hungry. Plus, she was a nibbler in general. “Can I be allowed to go walk in the garden?”

“Of course,” Draco stated. “You can go outside whenever you like. In fact, I'll take you out stargazing any night you can't sleep.”

“Thank you,” Lillian murmured as she stood up. As she passed Draco, she stopped. “You're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be.”

“Why did you think I wouldn't be nice?” Draco wondered, more curious than anything.

Lillian shrugged. “You seemed... far away, I guess, when you first found out about me, so I thought you didn't like me.”

“Oh, it's not that,” Draco assured her. “I just didn't know what to think. Still don't, if I'm honest.”

“Me either,” Lillian admitted with a heavy sigh before walking out into the garden to practice her ballet.

 

Astoria

 

The moment Lillian was out of the room, Astoria stood up. “If you'll excuse me.”

“Of course, love,” Draco murmured, kissing her hand before she smiled at him and Disapparated.

As she suspected, Astoria found Ginny in the loo. “I have a potion that works wonders on morning sickness.”

Ginny gasped in dismay. “How did you know?!”

“Lillian told us. She overheard you tell your mother.”

Ginny sighed heavily. “I was waiting to tell her until she wasn't so sad. I didn't want her to feel like she had to cheer up for me.”

“I'd be happy to go to your appointments with you,” Astoria offered. “If you'd like.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” Ginny asked in confusion.

“Simple. Because I'm a Slytherin. You are the stepmother of my husband's daughter. So, I could either be cold to you and guarantee _years_ of strife, or I can accept the situation and act like an adult. Plus, when I try to imagine raising my son on my own because Draco died... I have no idea how I would do it! So...” she trailed off as she summoned an anti-nausea potion and handed it over. “Let me be there for you.”

Ginny eyed the potion warily before casting a spell to make sure that it wasn't harmful. “Thank you,” she murmured when it tested clean.

Astoria chuckled. “And here I thought a Gryffindor would simply trust that it was clean.”

Ginny shrugged. “If it was just me, I probably would have, but I won't risk anything harming Harry's baby.”

“I understand completely,” Astoria murmured, offering Ginny a hand up now that Ginny no longer needed to bend over the toilet. The baby protested the mild strain by giving Astoria a sound kick. “Ooph! Salazar's shriveled prick! This boy sure can kick!”

Ginny grinned. “Can I feel?”

Astoria grabbed her hand and pressed it to the upper left side of her womb.

“It's a bit scary to think that it'll be me getting kicked by a baby in just a few months.”

Astoria grinned. “It's not all bad. I've rather enjoyed being pregnant. When the baby hiccups, it tickles.”

Ginny smiled. “If I'm honest, I think I'd prefer even painful kicking to morning sickness.”

“Can't argue with that!”

Arm in arm, the two of them returned to breakfast.

 

Draco

 

After breakfast, Draco went to his study. He told his family that he needed to attend to some business, but really he just needed a moment alone. He hadn't slept well at all, and currently had a headache that was steadily getting worse.

To his relief, his mother had suggested taking Lillian, Astoria, and Ginny shopping until it was time for Astoria's Healer's appointment. His father had claimed to have business as well, and disappeared into his own study. Thus, Draco truly did have time to think through this enormous change to his life.

Well, maybe not enormous so much as sudden.

Taking one long swig of brandy, Draco sat in his favorite chair and simply breathed deeply until he felt slightly more relaxed. Then he remembered that Harry had written him a letter. He summoned it and held it in his hands for a long moment. What, if anything, could Harry possibly say that would change this situation?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

With a sigh, Draco read the letter anyway.

_Malfoy, I know that you must be furious right now. You should know that I intended for you to never find out. I went to the club that night with the mission of having a stranger impregnate me in a one off, and you insisted that I choose you instead. So, though I know that it won't bring you any sort of comfort, I did *not* do this with any intention to hurt you, get one over on you, or win any sort of battle between us. I simply wanted a baby of my own._

_If everything goes according to my plans, I will raise Lillian on my own and she will never know that she has another father beyond a one off with a stranger. No one will. That said, if the worst should happen while Lillian is still a child, I want her to be surrounded by family. I didn't have that growing up and as far as I can possibly help it, my daughter will. So I am leaving her to you in my Will._

_Please don't punish her for anything *I* have done. Your family does anything for each other and she is your daughter, so please show her why Malfoys stick together no matter what._

_Lastly, if she ever seems uncertain about herself and asks you what I would think of something, tell her that I would support her in whatever she wants to do so long as she follows her heart. That I love her more than anything. If you do this, you will have my eternal gratitude. Harry_

Draco set the letter aside with a heavy sigh. He was wrong, the letter did change something. Now, Draco wasn't quite so angry. He still wished he could go back in time and force Harry to tell his past self sooner, but he was inordinately relieved to know that Harry hadn't done this out of some need to purposely hurt Draco.

Sighing, he stood up. As long as he had time and privacy, he was going to purge this anger from his system once and for all. With that in mind, he Apparated to the Crystal Room – the place where everyone in the family went when they just needed to throw something or scream and rage. He smashed every single thing in the room, trusting that the elves would repair it all in plenty of time for the next tantrum.

When he was done, he felt better. Lighter. Able to handle anything. Even a little girl.

Salazar's rancid arse! He had  _no idea_ how to deal with little girls! With boys, he could offer to play catch, or maybe take him flying. Challenge him to a race? But with girls... She liked ballet and he had no experience with that.

But wait... He  _did_ know how to dance. Maybe she'd like to dance with him? It was worth a try...

That night, when it was time for Lillian to go to her dance class, Draco decided to go with. Ginny simply nodded in agreement and held out her hand so that she could Apparate all three of them to the alley behind the dance studio. Once inside the building, Lillian silently took off to change, but was almost immediately swamped by all the other little girls who wanted to offer her their sympathy and try to comfort her.

Draco felt not just adrift, but lost at sea entirely.

The dance teacher came over to speak with Ginny. “Mrs. Potter, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm surprised that Lillian wanted to come back to class so soon.”

“Thank you, Ms. Swan. And Lily says that dance helps her feel better, so...” Ginny trailed off with a shrug. The she swept her hand in Draco's direction. “This might sound complicated, but Harry was in a relationship with Draco when they found a surrogate to carry Lillian. Thus, Draco is legally her other father. They separated, but Harry left Lillian to Draco in his Will.”

“Oh! That must be hard, to suddenly be the sole father of a daughter you didn't expect to have custody of,” Ms. Swan sympathized with a soft smile. “I just want you to know that everyone here will do anything we can to help dear Lillian feel better.”

“Thank you,” Draco murmured. He glanced at Ginny, figuring her story must be the muggle way of explaining how a child had two fathers.

“Usually parents simply drop their children off for class, but since you haven't seen her dance before, perhaps you'd like to sit and watch?” Ms. Swan offered graciously. “The class is practicing their parts for the upcoming performance. We've taken bits and pieces from various different famous ballets, so it'll be a medley more than anything.”

Draco shrugged. “I don't think I've ever seen a ballet, so I won't know any different.”

Ms. Swan smiled. “That's just fine. Oh! You'll have to excuse me, it looks like everyone's ready to begin but me.”

Draco and Ginny took seats off to the side where they could watch without being in the way. After only a few minutes, Draco could see that Lillian was more talented than all the other girls – at least the ones her age. The older girls seemed on par with her, and he had to wonder if her extra talent was fueled by her magic.

Ginny interrupted his thoughts. “Did Harry explain anything to you in his letter?” She whispered softly.

Draco looked at her, suddenly realizing that she was putting on a brave face for Lillian even though she was barely holding herself together. “He wrote that he wanted Lillian to have a family no matter what.”

Ginny sighed and nodded her head. “I thought it might be that. He  _hated_ being an orphan at the mercy of his aunt and uncle. Family was important to him, so even though he probably knew that we'd love her and raise her to be a strong, independent, and beautiful woman...”

Draco nodded in understanding. “He still wanted to make sure she had a father in her life.” He sighed softly. “I simply wish he had told me at the very beginning. It...  _hurts_ to know that I had a child out there for years and didn't know it. Family is important to me too.”

Ginny visibly gathered up her courage, and then slipped a hand into Draco's to give it a gentle squeeze. “If I had known that he hadn't picked a stranger that night, I would have encouraged him to tell you for exactly that reason. That said, I'm sure Harry was afraid that you'd sue for custody if you knew.”

“We never did get along,” Draco murmured. “It makes sense that he'd think we'd fight over this too.”

Ginny took her hand back and they each sat in silence for a long time. Unexpectedly, Draco smiled. He looked at Ginny and gestured to indicate Lillian.

“She's beautiful. She looks so much like Harry, but I can see myself in her. She has his wild black hair and vibrant green eyes, but the rest of her comes from me. She's taller than average. She has my pale skin. And she's so slender that I have to wonder if Harry forgot to feed her from time to time.”

Ginny chuckled. “You wouldn't think that if you saw her eat. It's true that she's a nibbler – she could have all the food in the world before her and she'd only eat a bite here and there – but she eats all the time. When she's not upset anyway. Harry would cook up a lot of food each day and arrange it along a small rectangular table that would follow her around as she played. She'd take a bite every five to ten minutes as she danced or colored or whatever.”

After seeing her only eat one bite of her eggs this morning and a nibble of toast, Draco had to wonder if she was starving by now. He had no idea if she ate anything for lunch.

“How did Harry work if he had her to look after?” Draco wondered.

Ginny smiled. “Mum would look after her while Harry was at work. Mum actually looks after all of my nieces and nephews each day, so Lillian had kids to play with.”

“Does she go to some sort of muggle school?” Draco wondered.

“No,” Ginny replied with a shake of her head. “Harry had a bad time in primary school. He was always bullied. So, when he heard that wizarding families often keep their kids at home and teach them the basics – as a way to have more time with them before they go to Hogwarts – he instantly decided that he loved the idea.”

Draco gave her a small smile. “My mother will be happy to hear that. She looks forward to teaching my children the refined and elegant script that her grandmother taught her. I remember her making the lessons magical and fun, so I don't think that Lillian would be bored by them.”

Ginny was quiet for a moment, and then gave Draco a tiny smile. “I know she may seem like the perfect child at the moment, but it's because she's depressed and doesn't quite know what to do with herself. When she finally recovers her inner joy, she's going to exasperate you with her inner wild hellion.”

Draco chuckled. “You know, I had a feeling that might be the case. She's a Gemini, just like I am. My mother always told me that I was a handful growing up. She thought I was like two completely different people. Sometimes I would be a perfect angel – and there never seemed to be a predictable or discernible reason why. Other times, I would be such a shit that she'd tear her hair out and bite her tongue to stop from screaming at me like an enraged banshee.”

He blushed and looked away. “She once told me that she quickly fell into the habit of just giving me something to bribe me into behaving, and since it seemed to work, she never had a reason to try anything else. That's probably the reason I grew up thinking I could have whatever I wanted. I hope I can do things differently with my own children.”

Ginny laughed softly. “You should talk to my mother. I'm not saying that everything she'll tell you is a great idea, but she raised seven kids and now looks after...” she paused and pressed a finger to her lips as she thought this over. “Nine grandchildren – with at least two more on the way. She probably knows more about raising kids than most parents.” Ginny absently wondered how far along with her third child Fleur was. Maybe they could go through this together.

Draco shrugged, then nodded. “Yeah, I suppose it'd be a good idea, simply to find out if there's anything important I should know about Lillian.” As he said this, Lillian spun around on her tip toes so many times in a row that Draco got dizzy just watching her.

After class – after Lillian changed into the dress she had been wearing earlier – she approached Draco and Ginny hesitantly. “What did you think of my dancing?”

“I think you're very talented,” Draco told her honestly.

Lillian silently but visibly sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

Draco gave her a small but warm smile. “How would you like some ice cream?”

This made her break out in a brilliant grin. “Love some!”

 

Lucius

 

Lucius watched his new granddaughter cautiously. She was a quiet girl. Unusually quiet.  _Too_ quiet... he didn't normally trust people who kept silent. He appreciated the lack of noise, but he didn't trust it. He knew all too well that it meant the person was keeping secrets.

That sad, he  _loved_ when members of his family stayed silent in front of others. It meant that they were keeping the family secrets safe. Obviously, Lillian had inherited this unnatural quiet from Draco – since he remembered Harry Potter as being a loud mouthed brat who could not keep his mouth shut to save his life.

The family was just finishing up dinner. Astoria and Mrs. Potter were chatting away like new friends. Draco and Narcissa were discussing the garden and what new flowers the might like to add to it this year. Draco suggested Japanese Golden Ray Lilies.

Lucius noticed Lillian startle a tiny bit and look up at her father. She seemed very interested in that flower, and judging by the look on Narcissa's face, she had noticed it too. She smiled at Draco.

“I think that would be a lovely addition to the garden.”

Smiling in return, Draco set his wine glass on the table. “Now that I've finished my dinner, I think I'd like to dance. Lillian, have you ever learned a traditional wizarding dance called the Flight of the Phoenix?”

Lillian shook her head, looking curious.

“Would you like to?” Draco asked.

Lillian immediately lit up so brightly that Lucius was tempted to shade his eyes. “Yes please!”

Draco gestured to a house elf, who responded by summoning everything required to play the correct music, which he then set to play. Standing, Draco held out his hand to Lillian, smiling when she rushed to slip her hand in his. For the first ten or so minutes, Draco walked her through the steps. Lucius assumed that a girl of only six would have a little trouble remembering the steps, but apparently her dance lessons had given her the ability to memorize steps quickly and easily.

Soon, Draco and Lillian were dancing in a way that was frankly adorable. Lucius felt a tiny smile stretch his lips. For as long as Draco had been alive, Lucius had tried to give him the world and make him happy. Sadly, many of his plans to do exactly that had backfired. Even now, many years after the war, Draco seemed merely content on his best days. Sure, there were occasional flashes of joy – such as when Astoria announced that she was pregnant – but those were rare.

Right now, Lucius suspected that his son was feeling genuinely happy at the moment. It was colored by other feelings – probably anger at Potter at the very least – but still... It was nice to see his son look something other than merely content. He deserved the very best, after all.

When Draco and Lillian finished the dance and she asked to go again, Draco gave her a smile that really did look very close to delight. This filled Lucius with a quiet joy of his own. Narcissa looked at him with a similar expression of her own. Struck by sudden inspiration, Lucius held out a hand to his wife.

“Would you care to dance, my love?”

Narcissa smiled at him and placed her hand in his. “Always. It's been far too long since we were properly in the mood to dance.”

Standing and pulling her into his arms, Lucius led her through a beautiful dance that they both loved. Lucius kissed her impulsively about halfway through the dance, making her purr happily. She rested her head on his shoulder and let him sweep her through the dance steps with absolute trust.

“Isn't Draco just adorable right now?” She whispered in his ear.

“Yes,” Lucius softly agreed. “Fatherhood agrees with him.”

“It does,” Narcissa stated with a proud smile.

 

Lillian

 

Since Ginny had gone to visit her mother for a few hours, Lillian was currently in the sitting room portion of Draco and Astoria's room. Draco was off playing with his potions while Astoria was idly brushing Lillian's hair and simply talking about anything that crossed their minds. To be honest, this was Lillian's favorite part about having a mother – or two. Her father had been hopeless with hair!

“Oh!” Astoria gasped unexpectedly. A moment later, she dropped the brush and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Ohhhh...”

Lillian noticed fluid gush out and soak the chair Astoria was sitting on. This didn't seem like a good thing at all. Lillian stood up in concern, wondering if she should call for help.

Astoria panted softly, then held out her hand for Lillian. “Do you think you could do me a huge favor, luv?”

Lillian took the hand and nodded. “Anything.”

“Take a pinch of floo powder, toss it into the fireplace, and call out: _St. Mungo's Maternity Ward_! Then tell them that Astoria Malfoy needs her Healer to come to the Manor right away.”

“Alright,” Lillian agreed, then rushed to do exactly that. Within minutes, an older woman who seemed both grandmotherly and confident emerged from the floo.

“Oh! It appears that the baby wants to be born _this moment_!” She pronounced. “No worries luv! I've got you.” She then turned to smile at Lillian. “And you look like the perfect assistant. Do you think you could help me?”

Lillian bit her lip nervously as she nodded her head.

“Lovely! Stand right there for a moment as I help Astoria into the best position.”

Lillian watched as Healer Rowe scanned Astoria with her wand, and then decided that Astoria would probably be most comfortable squatting since the baby was already crowning and looked to be in a hurry. Once Astoria was in position with a magical support bar to hold onto on her right and magical support cushion at her back, the Healer smiled at Lillian again.

“Come here and hold Astoria's left hand. She needs someone to hold her hand; can you do that for me?”

Lillian nodded again and rushed to comply. From here, she couldn't see things graphically, but she could see the Healer reach her hands between Astoria's legs and wait for the baby to drop into them. It was strange, the baby's head emerged rather suddenly, but then it seemed to go in and out a few times as Astoria panted and cried.

“Doing so well, luv,” Healer Rowe assured her. “With the next contraction, bear down as hard as you can.”

Astoria let out a loud, growling, roar as she followed instructions, and then Lillian could see shoulders emerge. The Healer put her hands practically inside Astoria in order to gently tug on the baby's shoulders, and then suddenly, the baby slid completely out of his mother.

“As we thought, a beautiful boy!” Rowe announced with a grin. She smiled at Lillian. “Can you sit down for me?”

Confused, Lillian let go of Astoria's hand and sat on the floor. As she did so, the Healer wrapped the baby in a soft cotton blanket. Then she handed the baby to Lillian.

“Hold him carefully, one arm under his head, that's it luv. If he is too heavy for you, gently set him in your lap,” the Healer instructed. Then she focused on helping Astoria finish up.

Narcissa popped in to invite them to tea but cut herself off when she saw what was happening. Without another word, she Apparated to Draco, seized him by the arm – thankfully he had just set a timer on his potion and it didn't need his attention – and Apparated him directly to his room.

“What the –” Draco's question was cut short with a gasp as he realized what was going on. His mother nudged him, encouraging him to go see the baby. He did exactly that, sitting next to Lillian and gently stroking the baby's cheek.

“I know you must be itching to hold him,” Rowe said with a smile. “But please wait for a few minutes. The cord only goes so far.”

Narcissa knelt behind Lillian to peek over her shoulder. She also rubbed Astoria comfortingly on the back. Unexpectedly, she kissed Astoria's cheek.

“Well done!”

“Thanks!” Astoria wailed in a tone that normally would have meant the exact opposite, but at the moment, simply meant that she was in the middle of a rather arduous task.

“He's beautiful, Ria!” Draco blurted out, astonished to find tears leaking from his eyes.

Lillian put a hand on her father's arm, frowning in concern. “Why are you crying?”

Draco smiled at her. “I'm just so happy right now.”

Relieved, she smiled at him in return. “Oh.”

He kissed her on the cheek. “What do you think of your new brother?”

“He's _tiny_ ,” Lillian replied, but then smiled. “But I think I'm going to like him a lot. Maybe we'll be best friends?”

Before Draco could say anything, Astoria let out another loud roar, and then sobbed in relief.

“The placenta's out, well done,” Healer Rowe praised her. “It's intact and there looks to be no complications. Very well done luv!”

Astoria was overcome by so many emotions upon hearing those words; crying even as the Healer cast spells to help her recover as quickly and easily as possible. Narcissa was rubbing her back again, offering both comfort and support as she conjured a cushy little stool for Astoria to sit on now that she no longer needed to push anything out.

As the Healer held up the placenta so that it could drain into the baby, Draco put a hand on her shoulder. “I was hoping to keep that for potions.”

Healer Rowe nodded. “A lot of parents ask to keep the placenta. It makes the  _best_ restorative potions. I'll spell it dry for you when I'm done here. Would you like it whole or powderized?”

“Powderized is fine,” Draco murmured.

The next half an hour went by in a strange combination of fast and slow. Each minute seemed to gallop by even as it lasted forever. Eventually, Astoria was sitting in bed, holding the baby while Draco sat next to her, repeatedly stroking the baby's face or head, and counting all his fingers and toes. Narcissa sat in a plush chair next to the bed, and Lillian sat on her lap.

“You were such a big girl today,” Narcissa praised her. “So brave.”

Lillian smiled. “Brave like my daddy.”

“Yes,” Narcissa agreed.

“Do you suppose he's alright?” Lillian asked quietly.

“Your father?” Narcissa asked. Lillian nodded timidly. “Oh love... There is one thing I am certain about, and _that's_ that Harry Potter is either in Muggle Heaven or Wizarding Paradise. He's watching over you right now, and he's probably proud of how much you helped Astoria today.”

“You think daddy's proud of me?” Lillian asked hopefully.

“Yes,” Narcissa, Draco, and Astoria all stated in unison.

Draco smiled at her and added: “I know he is. He told me in his letter that he loves you more than anything and he wants you to be happy.”

Lillian was quiet as she looked at her father. Then she looked at the baby before looking at Astoria. Finally, she looked up at her grandmother. Feeling a strange mix of sadness and happiness, she gave them all a watery smile.

“I... I think I will be,” she murmured. Then forced herself to smile cheerfully. “What's the baby's name?”

“Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy,” Draco announced, holding his hand out to Lillian. “Come here and say hi to him now that you know his name.”

Smiling more genuinely if less cheerfully now, she did.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I do sort of have a little bit more in mind. That said, what I have would probably be a random drabble or two. If you'd like to read more, let me know what you'd like to see. I find that I work best when I have suggestions to spark my muse, lol :-D  
> Also, comments are always loved ^_^


End file.
